ITALIAN SENSATION.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 22 March 1926, Page 9

ITALIAN SENSATION.

MURDER TRIAL PROCEEDING. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. LONDON, March 19. The Rome correspondent of the “Times” says there is tense excitement at the Matteotti trial. Frequently the president and the five defending counsel are speaking together. Putato, originally charged with participation, has been released. Ho declined to confirm his former evidence against the accused, declaring that it was obtained by undue pressure. CASE FOR THE DEFENCE. ALLEGATIONS AGAINST VICTIM. By Cabin—press Association—Copyright Keuter's Telegrams. (Received March 21, 5.5 p.m.) ROME, March 20. The defence at the Matteotti trial at Chieti, as unfolded by witnesses for tile accused, consists largely of a fierce attack on the murdered deputy, who was accused of being amongst the most dreaded of subversives. Incidents in his public career have been brought up tending to blacken his character; Other witnesses deposed that Dumini and his fellow accused were brave soldiers in war time, intrepid Fascists, and good patriots. Signor Giacomo Matteotti, a SocialiM member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, who was believed to bo in Possession of incriminating documents, disappeared from his lmiiie in Rome on June 10, 1921. Suspicion of i'tiul play immediately arose, and became u certainty within 48 Lours. He had been kidnapped and murdered. Two persons, Filippo Filipolli and Amerigo Dumiiii, were arrested, and botli made statements in which they incriminated persons in high office. This led to the resignation of General do ISono, Chief Commissioner of Police, and Signor Aldo Finzi, Under-Secretary of the Interior, and to the arrest of C. Rossi, thief of the Press .Bureau, and Marinetti, a member of the directorate of the Fascist Party, on suspicion of connivance in the murder. Signor Mussolini likewise relinquished the portfolio of Home Affairs to Signor Federzom, Minister of the Colonies.

Italian public opinion was deeply stirred by the resolutions of sympathy abroad with Signor Matteotti’s family ami his po.itical party, notably that of the British Labour Party in Parliament. On June 24. Signor Mussolini made a powerful speech lo the Senate, in which lie renounced the deed and its perpetrators. He announced condign penalties, and promised stringent measures to restore constitutional order in tile country. He repeated his assurances in the Chamber, with a formal promise to bring all the guilty to justice, whoever thc-y might bo. Nevertheless, the lim’'der, gruesome details of which were eventually discovered, continued for several mouths to create discontent in Italy, the Government being frequently accused of being tardy in the search for the assassins.